Staff Attorney
New York, NY
Full Time
Community Access Programs Unit; Public Benefits Unit
Entry Level
About NYLAG:
Founded in 1990, NYLAG is a leading civil legal services organization combatting economic, racial, and social injustice by advocating for people experiencing poverty or in crisis. Our services include comprehensive, free civil legal services, financial empowerment, impact litigation, policy advocacy, and community partnerships. NYLAG exists because wealth should not determine who has access to justice. We aim to disrupt systemic racism by serving individuals and families whose legal and financial crises are often rooted in racial inequality. NYLAG goes to where the need is, providing services in more than 150 community sites (e.g., courts, hospitals, libraries) and on our Mobile Legal Help Center. NYLAG’s staff of over 400 impacted the lives of nearly 129,000 people last year.
Job Description:
NYLAG’s Community Access Programs Unit (CAPU) and the Public Benefits Unit (PBU) have an immediate opening for a Staff Attorney to join a cross-team initiative for a full-time, two-year position. The Staff Attorney will work on responding to the sweeping changes to federal programs—including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)—that have been introduced by H.R. 1, which introduces restrictive changes to our social safety net, significantly impacting low-income, disabled, and immigrant households. These structural shifts in policy—including expanded work requirements for SNAP and Medicaid; limited federal benefits eligibility for immigrants and non-citizens; increased frequency of eligibility redeterminations and shorter retroactive coverage periods for many Medicaid recipients; among many others—will put thousands of New Yorkers, already struggling to obtain basic necessities, at risk of losing essential benefits. The Staff Attorney will partner with communities in New York City to provide community education, access to legal services, and legal representation for residents who are at risk of losing life sustaining benefits.
Leveraging the outreach and community lawyering model of CAPU, the attorney in this role will ensure services are responsive to community needs and goals. As a cross-unit collaborative, they will provide high quality, client centered legal services regarding programs impacted by H.R1. In addition, they will go into communities to provide outreach, education, and legal screenings, breaking down barriers to accessing legal services. The Staff Attorney will staff CAPU’s Mobile Legal Help Centers and Legal Hand clinics, as well as partner with elected officials and community-based organizations to bring legal services directly into communities facing barriers to accessing legal support.
Duties and Responsibilities:
This attorney’s primary responsibilities include:
Qualifications:
NYLAG’s Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion
NYLAG is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. People of color, women, people with disabilities, immigrants, veterans, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer people, and those with lived experiences in the communities we serve are strongly encouraged to apply.
Employment type:
☒ Full-time
Professional Level:
☒ Entry Level
☒ Professional
Salary Range:
NYLAG is a unionized workplace, and salaries are set pursuant to a collective bargaining agreement. The current salary range for this position is between $90,262 and $100,532.
Benefits:
Medical, dental, vision, 401k, life insurance, long term disability, commuter benefits, flexible spending accounts (FSA) for Medical and Dependent care.
Application Instructions:
To apply, please send both a resume and a cover letter in a single pdf. Incomplete applications will not be considered.
Covid Vaccination Policy:
Please note, to safeguard the health and well-being of our employees and clients, NYLAG requires all employees to be fully vaccinated for COVID-19, unless a medical or religious exemption is approved.
NYLAG is committed to a hybrid work policy for staff whose work does not require their full-time presence in the office. NYLAG’s current policy is that most staff are required to work in NYLAG’s offices or do other in-person work at least two days each week. This policy is subject to change.
Founded in 1990, NYLAG is a leading civil legal services organization combatting economic, racial, and social injustice by advocating for people experiencing poverty or in crisis. Our services include comprehensive, free civil legal services, financial empowerment, impact litigation, policy advocacy, and community partnerships. NYLAG exists because wealth should not determine who has access to justice. We aim to disrupt systemic racism by serving individuals and families whose legal and financial crises are often rooted in racial inequality. NYLAG goes to where the need is, providing services in more than 150 community sites (e.g., courts, hospitals, libraries) and on our Mobile Legal Help Center. NYLAG’s staff of over 400 impacted the lives of nearly 129,000 people last year.
Job Description:
NYLAG’s Community Access Programs Unit (CAPU) and the Public Benefits Unit (PBU) have an immediate opening for a Staff Attorney to join a cross-team initiative for a full-time, two-year position. The Staff Attorney will work on responding to the sweeping changes to federal programs—including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)—that have been introduced by H.R. 1, which introduces restrictive changes to our social safety net, significantly impacting low-income, disabled, and immigrant households. These structural shifts in policy—including expanded work requirements for SNAP and Medicaid; limited federal benefits eligibility for immigrants and non-citizens; increased frequency of eligibility redeterminations and shorter retroactive coverage periods for many Medicaid recipients; among many others—will put thousands of New Yorkers, already struggling to obtain basic necessities, at risk of losing essential benefits. The Staff Attorney will partner with communities in New York City to provide community education, access to legal services, and legal representation for residents who are at risk of losing life sustaining benefits.
Leveraging the outreach and community lawyering model of CAPU, the attorney in this role will ensure services are responsive to community needs and goals. As a cross-unit collaborative, they will provide high quality, client centered legal services regarding programs impacted by H.R1. In addition, they will go into communities to provide outreach, education, and legal screenings, breaking down barriers to accessing legal services. The Staff Attorney will staff CAPU’s Mobile Legal Help Centers and Legal Hand clinics, as well as partner with elected officials and community-based organizations to bring legal services directly into communities facing barriers to accessing legal support.
Duties and Responsibilities:
This attorney’s primary responsibilities include:
- Conduct intakes at NYLAG’s Mobile Legal Help Centers, Legal Hand clinics, and other community-based sites.
- Provide advice, counsel, and full representation services to New York City residents affected by benefits changes introduced in H.R.1.
- Collaborate with community-based organizations, elected officials, and colleagues to design and implement other community outreach initiatives and resources.
- Develop and deliver Know Your Rights presentations and participate in other community outreach events.
- Track and identify patterns experienced by communities that are ripe for impact litigation.
- Participate in cross-provider working groups and coalition meetings to work alongside other legal service providers and community-based organizations.
- Maintain up-to-date case notes, data tracking, and files.
- Practice principles of cultural humility and client-centered lawyering.
- Train, manage and mentor pro bono attorneys, clinic students, volunteers, and interns, as needed.
- Track, draft, and generate reports for grant management, as needed.
- Other duties as assigned.
Qualifications:
- Admission to New York Bar or passage of the NY Bar Exam and application pending.
- One to three years of civil legal services, clinical, fellowship, and/or clerkship experience preferred.
- Demonstrated interest in social justice.
- Ability to work in and value a collaborative team model.
- Experience working with diverse populations.
- Experience working within communities.
- Experience creating Know Your Rights materials.
- Demonstrated ability to handle escalated client situations.
- Demonstrated ability to take initiative and work independently.
- Excellent written, oral and analytical skills.
NYLAG’s Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion
NYLAG is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. People of color, women, people with disabilities, immigrants, veterans, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer people, and those with lived experiences in the communities we serve are strongly encouraged to apply.
Employment type:
☒ Full-time
Professional Level:
☒ Entry Level
☒ Professional
Salary Range:
NYLAG is a unionized workplace, and salaries are set pursuant to a collective bargaining agreement. The current salary range for this position is between $90,262 and $100,532.
Benefits:
Medical, dental, vision, 401k, life insurance, long term disability, commuter benefits, flexible spending accounts (FSA) for Medical and Dependent care.
Application Instructions:
To apply, please send both a resume and a cover letter in a single pdf. Incomplete applications will not be considered.
Covid Vaccination Policy:
Please note, to safeguard the health and well-being of our employees and clients, NYLAG requires all employees to be fully vaccinated for COVID-19, unless a medical or religious exemption is approved.
NYLAG is committed to a hybrid work policy for staff whose work does not require their full-time presence in the office. NYLAG’s current policy is that most staff are required to work in NYLAG’s offices or do other in-person work at least two days each week. This policy is subject to change.
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